Game using ball catching and releasing suction device



Nov. 20, 1956 G MaQCHESNEY 2,771,294

GAME USING BALL CATCHING AND RELEASING SUCTION DEVICE Filed June 21, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

Y Chesfer M Macchehey Nov. 20, 1956 MaGCHES E 2,771,294

GAME USING BALL CATCHING AND RELEASING SUCT ION DEVICE Filed June 21, -1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

Chesfer M MacC/vesney MVM United States Patent GAME USING BALL CATCHING AND RELEASING SUCTION DEVICE Chester M. MacChesney, Chicago, Ill.

Application June 21, 1955, Serial No. 517,021

6 Claims. (Cl. 273-96) This invention relates to games and its purpose is to provide a game which may be played on a flat playing surface such as a basket ball court, a tennis court, a volley ball court, or other similar indoor or outdoor area.

The principal object of the invention is to provide game apparatus of simple construction which may be easily manufactured and which affords an enjoyable contest requiring skill and accuracy by the players while at the same time providing beneficial physical exercise.

The improved game makes use of an inflated resilient ball which is served by one player to another within the playing court, the ball being adapted to be delivered by the server and caught by the receiver with the use of a suction cup gripping device which is held in the hand and controlled by the thumb of the player to cause the ball to be released or gripped. Points may be scored for the server if he catches the ball served to him, the number of points depending upon the conditions under which the catch is made, and points may be scored for the server if the receiver fails to catch it. Other features and objects of the invention will appear more fully hereinafter.

The nature of the invention will be understoodfrom the following specification taken with the accompanying drawings in which the novel game apparatus and two methods of employing it in use are illustrated. In the drawings,

Figure 1 shows a vertical longitudinal section through one form of ball gripping device forming a part of the game apparatus;

Fig. 2 shows an end elevation of the gripping device, looking toward the left as viewed in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the game apparatus when in use by two players on a court similar to a tennis court;

Fig. 4 shows a side elevation of a ball engaged by the gripping device of Fig. 1 which is held in the hand of a player; and

Fig. 5 shows a perspective View of a playing court and two players playing the game with modified game apparatus which includes ring-like targets through which the ball is passed when served by one player to the other.

The game of the present invention may be played by either two or four players, each of whom carries in his hand a gripping device which is preferably of the form described and claimed in my prior United States Letters Patent No. 2,147,907, dated February 21, 1939, and No. 2,345,205, dated March 28, 1944. This device is preferably molded of rubber or the like and comprises a handle portion 10a, adapted to be gripped by the hand of the player, and two transversely extending arms 1% which are formed integrally with suction cups 10c and which are adapted to grip the surface of the ball 11. The device 10 has an internal air passage 10d which opens at the center of each cup 100 and which extends between these openings through the handle 10a and the arms 10b. The handle carries near one end thereof a transversely extending and integrally formed thumb-piece 102 through which there extends a branch air passage 10] which opens to the atmosphere on the upper side of the thumb-piece and which communicates with the passage 10d. The passage 10f is adapted to be closed by the thumb of the player.

In the use of the gripping device 10 it is pressed against the surface of the ball 11 by the player, in the manner shown in Fig. 4, until the air has been expelled from the concave undersides of the cups 100 so that they conform to the surface of the ball. The air is expelled around the margins of the cups 100 while the player is holding his thumb over the mouth of the passage 10f so that air cannot reenter the suction cups and the ball is then gripped and held by suction. It may then be lifted and swung by the player to be discharged from the gripping device only upon theremoval of the thumb of the player from the mouth of the passage 10 which relieves the suction in the cups.

The ball 11 is an inflated pneumatic resilient ball which.

should preferably be about the size of a basketball. For example, it may be approximately 8 /2 to 9 /2 inches in diameter and weigh from 24 to 26 ounces and it should be so inflated that when dropped from a 6 foot height it will bounce not less than 4 feet. The entire outer surface of the ball should be smooth so that it may be readily engaged by the cups 100 of the gripping device 10.

In playing the game in the manner illustrated in Fig. 3, where two players are shown, each player takes a position at one end of the court 12 which is of oblong rectangular form, preferably about the size of a tennis court or a volley ball court. If desired, a net 13 may be stretched across the center of the court and supported by posts 14 but the use of the net is not essential to the playing of the game in its simplest form. In playing the game one player serves from a position at least 15 feet the server.

away from the net or center of the court and his object is to land the ball on the court on the opposite side of the net without its being caught by the receiver. As the ball approaches the receiver he places his thumb over the mouth of the passage 10 and locates the suction cups in the line of flight of the ball in the effort to catch theball. If the ball is properly engaged by the suction cups, the air is expelled around the margin-s of the cups with the result that the ball is gripped. The player who has just received the ball then returns it over the net to his opponent who, in turn, makes an effort to catch the ball with his gripping device. Instead of employing the net 13, a line may be drawn across the court at the center to define the sections of the court which are occupied by each player. If four players are engaged in the game, the player who receives the ball will return it to the opposite section of the court.

The scoring of points in this game may be varied to suit the wishes of the players. For example, if a ball is caught by a receiver before it strikes the court, two points are scored by him and, if he catches it with his gripping device on the first bounce, one point is scored. If the receiver misses the ball entirely one point is scored for If a ball is not caught or intercepted by a receiver but lands outside of his section of the court, one point is scored for the receiver. In this way, the game may be continued until one player accumulates the number of points which have been agreed upon to constitute the game, for example, 50 points. If a net is used as shown in Fig. 3, a point may be scored in favor of the receiver if the server directs the ball into the net.

A somewhat more elaborate and difiicult form of the game is illustrated in Fig. 5 where two players are shown on a court 15 which is divided into two equal sections by two side posts 16 which carry a segment-a1 transverse 3 bar 17 having mounted between the sections thereof a series of rings through which the ball 11 is to be served by the players. These rings include a center ring 18 of relativelyrsmall diameterand two larger siderings ;19.

All of these rings are of cylindrical form'and; should beof'sufiicient length sothat the ball 11, maycarom off of pointsforthe server audit the receiver catches the ball, 2 points will be scored if .he catches. it in the air and one point if he catches it on the first bounce. If the ball passes through a side ringl9, 3 points are scored for the server and 2 points for the receiver if he catches it in the air or one pointif he catches it on the first bounce.- it a ball directed by the server strikes any part of a ring without passing through it or if it strikes any part of the supporting structure, a point is scored for the receiver.

Since the ball 11 is a flexible resilient ball, it is possible to play the game with gripping devices, having the construction described above, in which the suction cups are formed of stiif rigid material such as metal or plastic.material, but it .is now preferred to use suction cups which are flexible and resilient.

It will be apparent that various scoring arrangements may be adopted by the players to suit the conditions of playing and the difliculty of the game which they desire to play. The scoring of points requires great skill and accuracy on the part of the players and a shorter game may be adopted for beginners.

Although one form of the improved game apparatus and a modification thereof have been illustrated and described, it will be understood that the invention may be modified in various ways and that the game may be played in various ways without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. For use in a game comprising a playing surface defined by an outer boundary and divided into two courts, a pneumatic resilient ball adapted to be propelled from one court to the other, and a plurality of combined ball catching and throwing devices, each device comprising flexible suction cups adapted to engage and grip the ball for catchingthe same, said devices being adaptedto be held by the players and havingair passages therethrough extending fromsaid suction cups and opening to the atmosphere whichmay be closed by the hands of the players to effect the gripping of the ball and opened to release the ball for throwing the same.

2. For use in a game comprising a rectangular playing surface defined by an outer boundary, a net stretched across said surface to divide it into two equal courts, a pneumatic resilient ball adapted to be propelled from one court to the other over said net, and a plurality of combined ball catching'and throwing devices, said devices comprising suction cups adapted to engage and grip the ball for catching the same, said devices being adapted to'be held by the players and having air passages therethrough extendingfrom said suction cups and opening to the atmosphere where they may be closed by the hands of the players to effect the gripping of the ball and opened to release the ball for throwing the same.

3. For use in a game comprising a playing surface defined by an outer boundary and divided by a division line into two courts, a ring mounted in a vertical plane containing said division line, a pneumatic resilient ball adapted to be thrown from one-court to the other through said ring, and a plurality of combined ball catching and throwing devices, said devices comprising-suction cups adapted to engage and grip the ball for catching the same, said devices being adapted to be held by the, players and having air passages therethrough extending from. said suction cups and opening to the atmosphere where they may be closed by thehands of the players to effect the gripping of the ball and opened to release the ball for throwing the same.

4. For use in a game comprising a playing surface defined byan-outer boundary and divided-bye division line into two courts, a plurality. of ringsof difierentsizes mounted in a verticalplane;containing said divisionline,

a pneumatic resilient balladapted to be thrown from one court to the other through said rings, and a pluralityof combinedv ball. catching and throwing devices, said. devices comprising snction cups adapted toengage and grip the ball for catching the same,-said devices being adapted to be held by the players; and having air passages therethrough extending fronrsaid suction cups and opening to the atmosphere where they may be closed by the hands of the playersto eifect thegripping of the ball and openedt-o release the ballrfor throwing the same.

5. For use, in ,a gamencomprising .a playing surface the atmosphere where they maybe closedby the hands of the players to effect the gripping of-the ball and opened to release the ballfor throwing the same, said rings being in the form of cylinders having substantial axial length;-

6. Forusein a game comprising a flat playing surface, a pneumatic-'resilient-ball .adapted to be propelled from one part of said surface to another, and a plurality of combined ball .catchingandthr-owing devices,-said devices comprising suction-cups adaptedto engage and grip the ball. for catching the-same, said devices being adaptedto be held 'by the players and having air passages therethrough extending from said suction cups andopening to the atmosphere where they maybe closed by the hands of .the players toeflfect the gripping of the balland opened to release the ball for throwing the same.

References-Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,258,931 Newcombe' Mar. 12, 1918 1,556,046 Taylor Oct. 6, 1925 2,126,628 I Fiondella' Aug. 9, 1938 2,345,205; MacChesneyr; Mar. 28, 1944 

